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During the last weekend of October, more than 3,000 tradeswomen and allies gathered at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas for North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) Conference. TWBN is the largest gathering of any kind for union tradeswomen, and the largest NABTU event, eclipsing the annual Legislative Conference.
The fall session of parliament kicked off at the end of September, and a busy legislative agenda has kept the federal government focused on tackling the rising cost of living, dealing with labour and supply challenges and moving forward with implementing its commitments on climate change and the environment.
In 1971, Walt Disney World opened in Florida, the voting age was lowered to age 18, the most popular song was “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night and the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory premiered. That same year, Terry Hermanson, age 17, started to work for the HFIAW.
Through education, advocacy, campaigning or at the polls, members of the Insulators Union made a political impact this year in both the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., the efforts of our Brothers and Sisters to, ‘Get Out the Vote’ helped stem the tide on what was expected to be a “red wave” at the federal level and allow Democrats to keep control of the Senate and only narrowly lose a majority in the House.
Lee Loftus is a retired Local 118 Business Manager and a proud third-generation Insulator. A member of the HFIAW since 1976, Loftus worked his way up, eventually holding elected positions both with the Local and with the building trades on a city and province level. He was previously the British Columbia Federation of Labour Occupation Health, Safety and Environment Director and has been entrenched in occupational health and environmental issues his entire professional career.
Pete Ielmini, Executive Director of the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT), made his monthly appearance on America's Work Force Union Podcast to talk about H.B. 9419, the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act.
The HFIAW is a proud charter union of the Union Sportsman's Alliance (USA).
Legislation that seeks to ensure that federal buildings utilize mechanical insulation and that it is installed by individuals who have completed a registered apprenticeship program was introduced into Congress.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT) Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and explained the purpose of the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act, which he believes will be introduced into Congress in late November.
Robert McGuckin, Training Coordinator for Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee, joined America's Work Force Union Podcast and talked about the JATC's impressive 98 percent graduation record among its apprentices, as part of National Apprenticeship Week (which ran from Nov. 14-20).